LOCH LOMOND WATERSHED
What is Source Water?
Source water is untreated, or raw, water that is used as drinking water that is provided to public water systems (public drinking water supplies and private wells), by rivers, lakes, aquifers, reservoirs, other fresh water sources, or groundwater. Source water can come from surface water or groundwater.
Surface water includes the lakes and rivers, and water sources on the Earth’s surface, whereas groundwater is the water located in the pores and spaces of rock and soil, and rock fragmentation. Both groundwater and surface water are interconnected.
Essentially, source water is where we get water for our drinking water supply.
Why is it important to monitor?
Source water can be compromised by contaminants that enter the water either naturally through the water cycle or are transported through the watershed. Materials that are flushed down toilets or your home’s drains can affect local water quality, and excess stormwater can pick up pollutants and combine with sewage when systems overflow, directly contaminating source water.
Source water protection directly impacts the quality of drinking water. If a drinking water source is highly polluted or poor-quality, it increases your risk of exposure to contaminated water. Ensuring source water is properly protected can help reduce treatment costs and eliminate the need for complex treatments, making safe drinking water more accessible overall.
What does ACAP do?
ACAP Saint John monitors the water quality of the source drinking water. 10 sites across the watershed are monitored monthly from May through December. Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, salinity, TDS, and pH are all sampled on site, along with turbidity. Samples are also collected, and then sent to a lab to monitor for a variety of nutrients, from ammonia to E. coli and fecal coliforms. Long term temperature is measured in 4 lakes (Latimer, Robertson, First, and Second) through temperature loggers which remain deployed throughout the monitoring season. Along with the technical sampling, ACAP Saint John visually inspects the 10 sites for any indication of cyanobacteria, litter build up, and environment changes.
Temperature: Water needs to be cold enough for sensitive species (e.g. Atlantic salmon) to survive.
Dissolved oxygen: The amount of oxygen available in water is important for fish and other aquatic species. Species like trout require high amounts of oxygen for a healthy life. Oxygen levels drop with higher temperatures and nutrient levels, which can be caused by pollution and climate change.
pH: This measures how acidic/basic the water is- neutral levels are best for fish.
Salinity: Salinity fluctuates with the tides, and tidal inflows can impact freshwater species.
Turbidity: Suspended solids in water scatter light, making water appear dirty or murky.High turbidity can clog fish gills and impact plant/algal growth.
Nutrients: While many nutrients (like phosphorus and ammonia) are essential, high nutrient levels can cause excessive algal growth and harm ecosystems.
E. coli: These bacteria live naturally in the intestines of some animals and can be found in their feces. Water can become contaminated with these bacteria when animal or human feces enters the waterway.
These parameters help to measure the health of the watershed, and to note any changes over time. By monitoring the health of the watershed, pollution prevention and remediation programs can be designed, specific to the various sites. Long term monitoring can tell us whether the work and programs implemented are effective, or whether problems are still emerging.
ACAP Saint John creates annual finalized reports, in collaboration with the Government of New Brunswick and Saint John Water, to ensure mitigation efforts are implemented to continue to protect the city’s largest source of drinking water, and keep treatment costs reduced. This report is readily available to businesses, residents, and customers who want insight into their quality of water.
Saint John Source Water Locations
The City of Saint John obtains its drinking water from primarily one watershed, and two wellfields: the Loch Lomond Watershed, the South Bay Wellfield and the Harbourview Wellfield.
Loch Lomond Drinking Water Treatment Facility
This facility is supplied from the Loch Lomond and Latimer Lake watersheds. It has the capacity to produce 75 million litres of clean drinking water per day, and the three on-site storage reservoirs have a capacity of 33 million litres. This facility serves customers in the east, north, south, and select areas of the west side of the city. Loch Lomond distribution began in August 2018.
South Bay Wellfield
Three large wells at this site collect water from aquifers deep below the ground's surface. It’s then pumped to the South Bay Treatment Facility for treatment and sent through the distribution system to over 3,000 customers on the west side of the city. South Bay Wellfield began distribution in September 2017.
Harbourview Well System
Saint John Water owns, operates, and maintains two well houses in the Red Head Area in East Saint John. This groundwater system supplies chlorinated well water to a good number of residences in the Harbourview subdivision.
How Can the Public Help in Source Water Protection?
Once a water source is contaminated, it can be costly and time consuming to clean it up or change treatment methods. You can help prevent contamination by properly disposing of harmful materials. This includes avoiding pouring harmful or hazardous materials down the drain, into storm sewers or on the ground, and by properly using pesticides or fertilizers in order not to contaminate source water. These pesticides and fertilizers may contain harmful chemicals which can travel through soil and contaminate groundwater or flow into rivers, lakes and streams. Poorly maintained septic systems release pathogens and chemicals into groundwater which poses a significant danger to public health, keeping your septic system properly maintained can help avoid this.
By ensuring you have a proper buffer zone near wetlands and water sources (75m in a protected watershed), you can help deter contaminated runoff. Tree planting and maintaining the riparian zone along the water body can make a significant difference in source water protection. Riparian tree plantings can prevent sedimentation into the water course (as well as protecting your land) and can help absorb excess nutrients before they hit the water. If you own property within a Source Water Watershed, familiarize yourself with the New Brunswick Watershed Protected Area Designation Order (https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/env/pdf/Water-Eau/WatershedProtectedAreaDesignationOrder.pdf).
How To Get Involved
Community clean ups can be a great way to not only protect your source water, but protect your community at large. ACAP Saint John will provide materials (i.e. gloves, bags, etc.) and information on how to organize and execute a successful Cleanup. Call ACAP at 652-2227 or email office@acapsj.org to get started!